Every Home should have: Beautiful Vignettes

Beautiful and well accomplished vignettes throughout the house are not only pleasant but I believe necessary as well.  They encompass a big chunk of the details and if you think a home is complete without them, think again.  It's like in fashion where an outfit is never complete without accessories.  I noticed vignettes turn out better when they carry out a theme: whether related to a period time, mood, color scheme, or all of the above.  Enjoy!

Images via Veranda, Elle Decor, Vogue.

We like: Milse's sweet treats at Auckland's Britomart

We like the sublime, sweet offerings of dessert restaurant and patisserie Milse (pronounced 'Mil-say', and is Gaelic for 'sweet') as much as we like its dramatic interior. 

The cocoon-like space in Auckland's Britomart opened recently and supplies desserts to neighbouring Ortolana restaurant as well as hosting diners at tables of its own, and offering takeout. 

The space was designed by Cheshire Architects. HOME editor Jeremy Hansen spoke to Nat Cheshire about the design, and to Milse's executive pastry chef Brian Campbell about the amazing food. These photographs are by David Straight.

HOME What was your brief for the space, and how did you go about filling it?

NAT CHESHIRE, CHESHIRE ARCHITECTS Within this left-over back-alley space we needed to offer an immersive and transformative experience, shaping spaces around some of the most ambitious dessert cooking in the country. We were inspired by the Arabian history of dessert-making to create an interior that folds together the crystalline structure of sugars and the delicate tracery of carved wooden moucharaby panels.

HOME How does it feel to be in the space?

NAT CHESHIRE The goal is a world of quiet delight within a chaotic left-over geometry surrounded by service lanes and delivery trucks outside. Milse has a cave-like intensity within the quiet complexity of its filigree surface. We hope this means it feels like another world entirely.

HOME I remember people eating their feelings at Death by Chocolate in the 80s. How is Milse different from the dessert restaurants of that era?

BRIAN CAMPBELL, EXECUTIVE PASTRY CHEF I think people are now eating a lot more casually – it’s the norm to restaurant-hop. Our approach is to focus on the best of seasonal products as well as showcasing premium ingredients such as chocolate and spices to give people an amazing dessert experience, whether they’re eating in or taking away.

HOME What’s your favourite thing on the menu at the moment?

BRIAN CAMPBELL I like the passionfruit and apple salted caramels.

NAT CHESHIRE I am trying to eat my way through everything, one hemispherical salted caramel gelato cake at a time.

Milse is at 27 Tyler Street, Britomart, Auckland, ph 09 368 9487 (no reservations accepted).

 

Chic Summer Style

"Summertime is always the best of what might be" Charles Bowden

Images via The Sartorialist, Stockholm Street style, Vanessa Jackman.

Sunday Quotes, between books

AD Spain Sept. 2012

Diane Bergeron

Marie Claire Maison Feb. 2012

Outtakes: Devonport house by Michael O'Sullivan

We really like this home in Devonport, Auckland, by architect Michael O'Sullivan of Bull O'Sullivan Architects (who also designed our Home of the Year in 2011). The long form of the home is clad in white weatherboards, while the interior is a deliberate contrast, full of warm timber. In the photo below, the home's co-owner Iain Wood sits just outside the property. Emily Andrews took the photographs, and Yvette Jay styled the shoot.

The opulent herringbone patterned ceiling (below) is a metaphorical protective cloak thrown over the family. The kitchen, with its dramatic onyx island, features north-facing windows with vertical timber mullions that cast ever-changing patterns of light and shadow through the house.

This is the view out the other side of the living space (below), where Iain admires the sight of Auckland's Waitemata Harbour from the sofas designed by his wife, Jes. The pendant lights in this room were designed by Michael O'Sullivan and blown by Lava Glass. The 'Pebble' tables by Jerry Low and Nathan Yong and the 'Caro' rug by Carmen Stallbaumer are both Ligne Roset from Auckland's Domo Collections.

Michael tucked a downstairs rumpus room for Iain Jes' daughters on the lower level of the house and lined the space in ply (below) with a deep red carpet. 

The pared-back main bedroom (below) features monochromatic bed linen from Seneca and a bedside table from BoConcept. Michael's aesthetic reference for the home's white weatherboard exterior and warm interior was Rangiatea, the famous Maori church in Otaki.

The photo below shows the home's long, low roof pitch, which references the 1950s designs by Group Architects, many of which were also constructed on the North Shore.

My Favourite Building: Michael Lett

We've been running our 'My Favourite Building' page at the back of the magazine since 2005, and recently decided it'd be quite fun to look back over some of the people and buildings we've featured. Earlier this year, Auckland gallerist Michael Lett chose Queen Street's Metro Centre (the big cinema complex with the IMAX theatre, behind the Civic), a mid-1990s exercise in futurism by Walker Group Architects. The photo is by Alastair Guthrie (Michael's head is just visible peering off the bridge at the top).

Here's what Michael had to say about why he likes the building.

“Before this space became Queen Street’s Metro Centre, it had DKD café and a Hare Krishna vegetarian café and was somewhat bohemian. When the new building went up it was fabulously ugly and I hated it, but over the years it’s become more decrepit and I’ve warmed to it. It’s dawned on me that this could be the Civic Theatre of my generation. 

"In Auckland there is a tendency to continually renovate or try to improve existing architecture, often to the detriment of the building. I was quite sad when they got rid of the Metro Centre’s rocket-shaped pillars and the tube TVs with their fibreglass, bug-like screens above the movie counter – I tried to buy one but they’d been thrown out. 

"If we leave this place alone for 50 years we’ll be revelling in its design. It’s a fine example of the façadism trend, and it’s so 90s with the overtones of sci-fi futurism in its fitout. And who doesn’t love a rocket lift?”

Fall 2013 it bag: The Handheld bag

With Fall 2013 fashion style making a return to the more lady-like dressy look days so did the bags, it seems that the new it bags will be more serious and business looking this year.  The handheld bag.  Enjoy!

Alexander Mcqueen, Miu MIu, Burberry, Lanvin, Emilio Pucci, Dolce & Gabbana, Mulberry and Marc Jacobs

For the home: Beautiful walls

Nicky Haslam Design

To many people it may be unthinkable to know that more people than they think forget about dressing the walls.  They either get scared or intimidated by the thought of Gallery or salon walls or they just don't know to fill the space.  I guess a simple rule of thumb is to get rid of the idea of perfection end result and any rule for that matter, and consider the conditions of the walls first of all.  If it's in good condition maybe a good coat of paint or an elegant and simple paint technique before hanging one statement piece would be enough, as in Nicky Haslam Design in the top image, the walls are so beautifully done that a cluster of framed pictures would ruin the whole look.  Beautiful objects such as big mirror, one big painting or an exotic textiles are also simple options.  Of course a gallery wall is always a one step up if you decide to go for it.  Enjoy! 

Tino Zervudachi's Paris Home

I posted Tino Zervudachi's home back in February and recently found three more images of his Parisian home and wanted to share with you.  This home is one of my favorites and it stole my heart to keep it.  His elegant and masculine studio above is equally stealing doing it.

Boy what a house this is!  The Parisian home of Tino Zervudachi, partner at Milinaric, Henry & Zervudachi is a dream come true.  Full of interesting and classic furniture, modern art and top notch photography is just what the doctor ordered to everyone who wants to live with style and substance.  I'm a big fan of 1940's furniture and looking at those Jansen pieces Tino Zervudachi has in his home makes my jaw drops big time!  Enjoy!

I found these two different shots of his home, above and below and wanted to share with you. 

A stunning chandelier reigns above a comfort sofa, a modern painting and a white sculpture on top of a column.

A 1940's Jansen sofa is freshen up with bright colorful pillows.

Two different Louis XVI chairs juxtapose in front of a steel and bronze semainier and modern paintings.  Just perfect!

Love how the touch of red on the campaign bed and the mobile makes this room far from too serious.

This is an amazing bathroom.  Just the coffered ceiling and the red kilim are enough to take my breath away.
images via AD